Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 67

Devanagari script

पञ्चभूतात्मको देहस्त्वगसृङ्मांसबन्धनः । मेदोमज्जास्थिनिचितो विण्मूत्रश्लेष्मभाजनम्

Transliteration

pañcabhūtātmako dehastvagasṛṅmāṃsabandhanaḥ | medomajjāsthinicito viṇmūtraśleṣmabhājanam

Translation

ଏହି ଦେହ ପଞ୍ଚଭୂତମୟ; ଚର୍ମ, ରକ୍ତ ଓ ମାଂସରେ ବନ୍ଧିତ; ମେଦ, ମଜ୍ଜା ଓ ଅସ୍ଥିରେ ପୂର୍ଣ୍ଣ; ଏବଂ ବିଷ୍ଠା, ମୂତ୍ର ଓ ଶ୍ଳେଷ୍ମର ପାତ୍ର।

Word by Word

• पञ्चभूतात्मकः: consisting of the five elements
• पञ्चभूतात्मकः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च + भूत + आत्मक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—पञ्चभूतानाम् आत्मा/स्वभावः यस्य (तत्पुरुष; अर्थतः 'made of five elements')

• देहः: the body
• देहः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• त्वक्: skin
• त्वक्: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग (member of compound)

• असृक्: blood
• असृक्: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: असृज्/असृक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• मांस: flesh
• मांस: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• बन्धनः: a binding/constraint (of skin, blood, flesh)
• बन्धनः: Pradhāna (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बन्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—त्वक्-असृक्-मांस- (समाहार/इतरेतर-समास-समुच्चय) + बन्धन (i.e., 'bound by skin, blood, flesh')

• मेदः: fat
• मेदः: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेदस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• मज्जा: marrow
• मज्जा: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मज्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• अस्थि: bone
• अस्थि: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्थि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• निचितः: heaped/filled
• निचितः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + √चि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (piled up/filled)

• विण्: feces
• विण्: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विण्/विट् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• मूत्र: urine
• मूत्र: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• श्लेष्म: phlegm
• श्लेष्म: Sambandha (Compound member)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लेष्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); समासाङ्ग

• भाजनम्: a vessel of feces, urine, and phlegm
• भाजनम्: Pradhāna (Predicate nominative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—विण्-मूत्र-श्लेष्म (समाहार/इतरेतर-समास-समुच्चय) + भाजन (container)

Speaker

A Purāṇic teacher (speaker not explicit in the snippet)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: An anatomical-symbolic depiction: a human figure outlined, with the five elements indicated by icons (earth/water/fire/air/space) and inner vessels labeled as impure contents—rendered as a contemplative teaching image, not grotesque.

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Seeing the body realistically—elemental and impure—reduces attachment and supports the pursuit of liberation.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

None; this is a general dharma-teaching section rather than a site-mahātmya verse.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No external ritual; it implies an inner practice of contemplation to overcome bodily identification.